DES MOINES, Iowa — HL2:
HL3:
Safety is the name of the game at the fair, which means Iowa State Fair Police must provide round-the-clock surveillance.
Cmdr. Randy Jones said for the crew in his department, this means always patrolling the fairgrounds, constantly guarding the entrances and making sure no one is disrupting vendor's booths.
"We have officers patrolling the grounds because we have a lot of assets out here ... make sure everything stays protected and ready to go for the next day," Jones said.
The department utilizes cameras located throughout the grounds.
"It provides eyes throughout the fairgrounds," Jones said. "It's like having an officer everywhere."
Fair police have meetings with everyone on the same shift consistently, as well as the other law enforcement agencies at the fair.
These meetings are where the corporal tells other officers their duties for the day, what they should expect and if any important or VIP guests will be at the fair that day.
Jones told Local 5 these meetings are not only to give the officers clarity, but are meant to help them have better interactions with fairgoers.
He noted their goal for people coming to the Iowa State Fair is to make sure they have as much fun as safely as possible.
"You hope you've done enough for every contingency," Jones said. "You do the best you can."
On Day 1 of the 2021 fair, Thursday, Jones said they had 10 calls for service, one arrest for theft and caught minors in possession of alcohol.
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